Chapter Twelve

The day tested Harmony’s social skills, both the ones she acquired through her profession and those she’d learned through working at the manor. She was in her new armor, trying it out before she took it into more dangerous but hopefully less stressful situations. Tyler purchased three new items at the auction for his collection. She complimented him on his acquisitions as a good maid would.

Hyacinth, through their bond, inquired worriedly about her mental state. She assured him this was all business and only temporary. He even asked if toe-sucking would help. Sweet but pointless, he couldn’t do anything to help her with the attention her new outfit was garnering. To match, Tyler had chosen to wear his armor. She smiled as he beamed at the compliments she received, even as he missed the mask she wore.

The necromancer knew her mind made it worse than it was. How everyone considered her the lord’s plaything or toy. There were only a few disparaging compliments. This kind of look was the fashion in many places like the capital. She didn’t completely abhor being the center of attention, even if it reminded her of her childhood. Unearned attention didn’t represent who she was. Standing up in Cogg and Hall Brews with Ambrosia had felt more natural.

Lord Tyler eventually picked up on her fifth hint that it might be best if they got to rest before meeting up at one of the dungeon’s entrances in the morning.

“Curruck.” Hyacinth croaked.

“I’ll be fine. I think I got my hopes up too much that Tyler would be anyone other than himself since he’s been trying to be nice.”

Smooth, quick movements guided by an almost instinctive help of [Small Armor] allowed her to remove and store the outfit for the night. The amount of unbuckling and refastening of the straps made her glad she wouldn’t wear them often. Maybe [Small Armor] was an evolved skill?

Despite all outward appearances of it being a costume piece, the armor was good quality and not just decorative. The skills, the armor, and this opportunity were all amazing gifts. She refused to consider them unearned, but they were more of a gift for Lord Tyler.

Slipping on her nightshirt, she lay in the lodge’s bed. It was more comfortable than the beds of the Lady’s staff dormitory. Jessica’s bitterness came to mind. A companion of the moment, made to be who the lord wanted them to be. This run will be just an extra bit of work. Even if all this had her stalled at level twenty-four, she wouldn’t be a bitch about it. Everyone has a different path of progression, and the necromantic maid felt she was still finding hers.

Harmony woke up feeling complete, her skills humming in the background rather than the raw near-surface interactions that had plagued her recently. No nausea-inducing churning, no desire to kick anything, and none of the uncomfortable pinching sensations of a new skill settling into her soul. The armor didn’t annoy her more than the work uniforms now, which meant it greatly annoyed her, but it was required for the job. Only this time, she’ll be more protected while cleaning pests out of a dungeon rather than out of the manor’s attic.

Donning the armor once more, she made a quick breakfast from the lodge’s pantry, eating as she threw together a plate for the lord. She knocked before entering but still found him half naked, sitting in bed, working on a puzzle box he’d purchased. Supposedly, it was from a dungeon that required you to evolve before entering. Dungeons drop them sometimes, more often filled with junk but also occasionally rare treasures.

“Breakfast, M’lord.”

Tyler dropped the unopened box onto his lap. “You look positively amazing. Gear and Wex do such amazing work.”

Harmony had to draw from her skills to keep from blanching. Happy she didn’t have to flick on [Poise and Bearing], but Gear and Wex was the premiere armorer in Hazeldown. It was only a branch of the Master shop in the capital, but they wouldn’t put up with any of their shops having low-quality work. A quick mental calculation of Tyler’s spending on this trip went into the scale of things she felt she’d never be able to pay back.

“You get any sleep. Or did the puzzle box keep you up all night?” Harmony kept her voice assertive yet playful, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t been serious about going in well-rested the night before.

He waved a hand dismissively. “This will be my tenth time clearing the dungeon. It’s a training blade for us until we get to the real thing.”

The Dig Boys had farmed the third-floor dozens of times until they got hit by that surprise encounter with the cube of flesh on her last outing with them. No one had died, but it had been close. She’d been lucky it had hair. She’d progressed to levels eight and nine from choking that monster with a skill-powered hairball. Two more levels and a few items, and she wouldn’t need to step into that place for a long time.

“I’m sure you’ll keep me safe. And if it gets real dicey, I’ll kick ’em.”

Tyler smiled, and Harmony groaned inwardly. He took the tray and started eating. Between bites, he told her they were meeting at the lodge entrance rather than the guild one, as they were less likely to run into any competing adventurers. A quick walk, and they’d be there. No need to rush over and get there first. If he’d asked, Harmony would have told him she’d prefer to get there early, letting her have more time with the team, but he didn’t ask.

The pair moved quickly while the shadow toad lopped by the maid’s side. A small bag hung over her shoulders, mostly empty for the loot she’d need but otherwise stocked with a few essentials.

Her stomach twisted a little. She could feel herself getting closer to the entrance from the increasing smell of death.

She read a poster on a wall as a distraction. Missing Cat with a sketch of a mottled fluffy cat wearing a memorable charm. If found, contact Carla. She shared her flash of guilt with her familiar, who had the audacity to share that he didn’t care.

“Bad toad.” She muttered under her breath.

The team waited. Len’s school robes were replaced by a sturdy over-jacket that went down to his ankles, with wards stitched into the leather for him to activate their properties. He wielded a staff that could double as a cudgel for its weight. His familiar, a large raven, sat on its top. Rose held her bow, now in its shooting form. Tight leather armor hugged her body, covering her in a way that made Harmony feel envious, despite her skills insisting her current armor was better for her. Two long blades sat strapped to her waist. Sir Maxwell was in the exact same armor as from the other day. Most shocking to the necromancer was that his hair was still pink.

“A pack of red-backed sloths would be more on time than you two!” Max yelled.

Tyler responded with a rude gesture, making a V with his fingers and then closing it into a fist. Implying the knight could go and get his progression stalled.

Harmony felt stared at. Len’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, while Max’s was almost lecherous, focusing less on the whole picture and more on parts of her. “You’re looking. Ahem, improved Harmony. I was going to rag you about my hair still being pink before admitting that everyone assumes I’m trying some daring capital fashion.”

Lady Coodly’s hair only stayed colored for half a day before fading to the original. The maid was unsure if how she cast it with her new skill mix or if the matriarch’s age and levels made the difference. “Want me to change it back?

“Oh, no. The Down girls have been enjoying how all of me matches the new color scheme. I can show you later if you like.”

“Let’s focus on the dungeon run.” She replied while internally her thoughts screamed ‘gods no’ at the knight’s offer.

Harmony was struck by how they were the only adventurers here. Public entrances had long lines. You’d pay the fee and go in to increase your class skills or farm drops. She’d stuck to the first level for a few solo dives to use the first-floor undead monsters to test her skills. Nothing like giving a shambling corpse a total beauty makeover. The guild entrances were less busy, where you’d flash your guild token and enter. She’d never been to an entry so completely empty. It was them, a booth with a bored attendant, and the large cavernous entrance leading down.

“Fine.”

The group walked up to the booth. Tyler put a gold coin down, which the attendant pocketed without returning any change. With that exorbitant cost, Harmony knew why this entrance was empty. “Coodly Group, one new member.” The tank told the attendant.

Opening a book, the attendant flipped through and looked at the members before their eyes settled on the necromancer. “Do you have any identification?” They asked.

For public entrances, you wrote your name and where you lived on a bit of paper so that if you didn’t return, they could check the records and see if you attempted the dungeon and didn’t come back. The Guild was more organized in that they had guild medallions that could be used to identify them or their corpses. Other organizations did similar things. Harmony’s mind drew a blank, and she saw Tyler ready to step in. What would he say,” This is my personal maid.” It wasn’t like she brought much with her.

It clicked. The necromancer had one thing with her name engraved on it. Out of her bag, she pulled out the token Mike and The Dig Boys had given to her after the near-disastrous run. Her name and the symbols representing the Viridian gym are carved into it. “Will this do?” She asked, handing it over.

The attendant held it. The way their body tensed briefly, she could see a skill was in play.

“Yes, this will work.” Then after handing the token back, he took out a fresh sheet of paper and started to sketch the necromancer.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“Is that a Gym badge?” Len asked excitedly. “Viridian too. Those are hard to get.”

“And here I was expecting a girl Tyler selected for their looks,” Rose commented.

Harmony blushed at the backhanded compliment. She’d brought it because Mike had told her that if she showed it to the right people while in the dungeon, she would be more likely to get help.

“You’re free to enter.” The attendant said, dismissing them.

Harmony followed the team into the tunnel. As she passed the threshold, the dungeon’s smell of death flooded her stronger than ever. New skills playing a bit of havoc on her class senses, maybe a side effect of the churn inside her?

“Have you ever cleared the first floor alone?” Len asked.

The maid blinked, realizing the question was for her.

“Not this again,” Rose muttered.

“Constellations and achievements are real things.” Len insisted

“That’s never been proven.” Rose snapped back.

“Statistical measures of actions show a strong correlation….”

Rose opened and closed her hand in response, like a puppet mimicking the Wizard’s speech.

“I, for one, would like to see how well our new member does.” Sir Maxwell bumped in.

“I don’t know,” Tyler said nervously.

Confused by the conversion, but not enough to miss out on the fact that Tyler’s doubt was a mistake because Max’s grin widened.

“See, Harmony, we have a bit of a tradition. New members clear the first floor of the dungeon alone. We stay back about fifteen paces.”

“Twenty!” Len corrects.

“Twenty paces and will help if things look risky. It’s supposed to improve future progression. But really, it lets us get an idea of what you can do. We’ve all done it.”

The maid’s eyes narrowed on Tyler, who nodded slightly in confirmation. The only time Harmony had ever completed floors was with an escort. Even early on, she’d never had any issues with the first floor’s weak dead. She simply never had a reason to push further. Today, though, she needed this, and if this is what it took to get them to help her level and acquire a champion’s tooth, then she would. She felt her new skills spur her on.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

The entrance opened up to a fork of three pathways. The dungeon shifted, so mapping was useless. All paths were valid for getting through the first floor and to the next. The dungeon took up a size greater than Hazeldown, so it wasn’t like there wasn’t plenty of space. Little markers sat near each of the paths. Numbers for which ones were entered most recently. Public diving rules were the same. She picked the one visited the longest ago and moved the markers about.

The team stood twenty paces back. Only she and Hyacinth, necromancer and familiar, stepped onward.

The first shambler came out of the shadows loping at a gait slower than a run but quicker than a walk. Many people worried about running into a deceased loved one while diving into a dungeon, but the necromancer didn’t see it. The majority of corpses adapted by the dungeon were taken apart and put back together so that no one could recognize who it was. Miss-matched legs gave the shamblers their name.

The first-floor monsters were as strong as an average human and quick when their parts were aligned correctly. Which wasn’t extraordinary but still dangerous as they felt no pain and wouldn’t slow down from nondebilitating injuries. But they had no skills. Those were reserved for specialty creations.

With a casual flick of [Manipulate Dead], Harmony fused its joints together, causing the creature to halt in its tracks. At this point, Harmony would practice her other skills, but she knew that wasn’t the kind of show her new team wanted her to put on, as funny as giving it pink hair to match Max would be.

Severing the head wouldn’t even count as the kill, so The Necromancer did her preferred way of dispatching the shambler. Straight up the middle, she ripped the thing in two, using her skill to shift the corpse in opposite directions. The two halves fell to the floor, only to be quickly absorbed by the dungeon and replaced by a lump of black coal.

The fuel was a basic drop, heating every stove, burning in every forge, and the town’s largest bulk export. She would typically collect these to cover her entrance fee from the public dungeon. Today she left it on the ground and marched onward.

Pack tactics were the only increase in difficulty early on, increasing their numbers. One shambler became two, then Three. Even Hyacinth was bored as she moved steadily ahead. She used her necromantic senses and skills to leave piles of bisected corpses to be absorbed, then turned into iron penny-type drops on the floor.

Packs of five became a regular appearance. That was when Harmony knew the mix was about to change. The first undead stray pounced out of the shadows, larger than most cats with wickedly sharpened claws. She knew it was there but felt it was unfair to Hyacinth to leave him out of the fun.

The toad’s tongue snapped forward, pulling the beast out of the air and straight into his maw. The loud crunching of the bones could be heard as he cracked down again and again on the animated corpse before spitting it out. He had enough sense to know when the animal shambler would be unable to get up again.

Outside of the increased efficiency she felt from [Mana Rotation], quick consecutive appearances of two packs left her barely breaking a sweat. This wasn’t a good test of her skills. [High Kick] begged her to see what would happen if she kicked one of the shamblers after she’d locked one in place, but why encourage Tyler that way?

Of all the floors, the first one was the most straightforward. The dungeon sent all their weakest, poorly put-together creatures after you, saving anything strenuous for the lower ones. Harmony knew the only surprise would be what awaited her at the end of the floor. A dozen different floor guardians populated the dungeon. The test for adventurers, checking if they are strong enough for the second floor.

Of her two runs deeper into the dungeon for leveling with The Dig Boys, Harmony mostly watched as the group took down a living pool of blood controlled by three skulls floating in the fluid. Mike had used a sling to shatter one of the skulls using the magical coal as a stone. It wasn’t even a class or profession skill, simply a hobby he’d picked up. The second boss was a shambling chimera, a monster from the deeper levels too damaged to repair but a fair opponent for judging a team. New with [Manipulate Dead], the necromancer had helped with the base skill activation exploding chunks off the rotting creature.

Harmony missed the first and most obvious clue about the shambler standing at the end of the tunnel. The fact that it wasn’t in a horde, that it wasn’t charging at her with mindless abandon. She felt the magic of her skill slip off the corpse, unable to latch on as she used the same amount of effort that had carried her through this far.

The monster’s head snapped up. Its dead eyes were gone, and in its place, two small but very much alive burning blue flames. Forward it flew, accelerating quicker than any man.

[Small Armor] Snapped into action. The armor on her forearm caught the incoming swipe, and the impact made her arm numb. She jumped back, and a fast but more normal attack from the opposite arm swung through the space she had been standing in.

This was wrong.

[Analyze]

Shambler-Host

Host to what? Harmony made a forceful push to lock the creature’s joints. This time she felt the bones fuse together, which was a relief. Still, much of her energy in the skill felt rebuffed and resisted like her initial attempt. It shouldn’t be this strong, even as a floor guardian.

With a loud crack, the mouth snapped open, breaking free with otherworldly strength to open. “You want to challenge me?” The thing hissed in a sound that reverberated at a frequency that screamed death to Harmony’s class.

Not that her class was afraid. It was interested and rarely had Harmony ever felt interest coming from that part of her soul. A desire that distracted her.

Snap. Crackle. Pop. Joints broke free. The Shambler-Host moved, and the maid, flat-footed, wondered if her team would save her.

Someone did. Hyacinth barreled into it, more tossed bolder than a toad, showing off his new thicker skin.

Fear for her familiar snapped her back to the present. Her toad was already disentangled and slipping into the shadows. The dungeon’s domain blocked long trips, but he could make short hops.

She empowered another strike with [Mana Rotation], planning to split this one in two like she had the others. “Yes, I challenge you!”

The strike slipped off the Host’s skull and cut a rift down through the collar bone, ripping just past the monster’s sternum like a huge invisible axe had cleaved into it. The wounded started to stitch together with bits of dead flesh and slowly close.

A quick check from her class showed that the joints that had been snapped were repaired. Nothing regenerated like this on the first floor. Sure, one yell, and the five of them could gang up on it and pound it to dust. But would the team trust her, believe in her, if she did that? Would they let her get what she needed?

[High Kick] pushed her forward at a speed that matched what she’d faced from the guardian. The thinnest synergy from [Manipulate Dead] to show where the weak spots were. In her version of a cheat, she twisted that skill synergy into adding the necomatic’s skills ability to destroy dead flesh into her blow, and the [High Kick] accepted it. Any bit of destructive power was welcomed. Threads of other skills joined in, [Renew Spirit], [Style and Grace], even [Dust]. Anything that could add a bit of energy or explosive potential. It strained her soul, but screw it.

Weak spot? It was all desiccated meat. The shambler’s hand reached out to grab and stop the incoming blow with the power to back it up. The hand disintegrated, ripped apart by momentum, magic, and willpower. Encouraged to become a spray of debris and dust. The kick did not stop there as it continued moving, pulverizing the body, sending the legs to collapse on the floor, the free arm to fly off, and the head to roll onto the ground.

“See you deeper.” The skull hissed before the fire in the eyes went out.

The whole thing dissolved. Replaced by an ordinary lump of coal.

“What the hell,” Harmony muttered.

A red wave surged her way from the corner of the room, larger than the group. A wall of blood. As quickly as it rushed, the speed was a joke to what the Shambler-Host had shown.

Compared to the last fight, it was no effort to reach into it, find the three floating skulls in the blood and turn them into shattered bits. The floor guardian froze, splashed down, and dissolved away. In its place was a necrotic core that she needed for her scroll.

[First Floor Cleared]

The dungeon’s voice announced placidly.

“Wooo!” Max yelled as he came jogging up. “You took down that blood puppet like it was nothing!”

The others came following less quickly. “Had to play around with that shambler for a moment first, though,” Rose added.

“Was that [High Kick]? I couldn’t see much from where we were.” Tyler asked.

“Congrats on the solo floor clear achievement,” Len added.

Rose blew a raspberry in response.

They hadn’t seen it. Hadn’t seen the effort. The skills of the shambler host. How the first swipe had taken more out of her than when she blocked Tyler or Max’s attacks. “Yeah, it’s done.” She replied.

Looking back to the lump of coal dropped by the Host, she took a few steps toward it and added it to her pack with the necrotic core.

“Let’s head to the second floor.” The knight pushed.

Harmony pondered what exactly had just happened, keeping quiet as they went down the new opening to the next level.